Octopus Overlords

There used to be about 8 giant trees here. It took all 4 of us to rake and carry them off in bed sheets and then either pile somewhere or burn. It was hella work. As the in laws got older it fell to me alone. After 2 years that was enough. We got our first leaf blower in the 90s. A Craftsman. Thing was awesome. Over the years we've lost trees to storms..wind and lightning. There is just 4 giant trees left. About 14 years ago we blew them into the ditch and my mother in law who was losing her sanity burned them. We all got sore throats and stuff from that so the next couple times we just blew them into the ditch or the side field area. They tend to blow back. So I said hell with it until a few years back. Just left them. Good for the yard and me. But now for a few years I blow them away from the house and into the yard where I mulch them with the push mower. Did it Friday. Leaves a few but it is good for the yard. Looks great now. I try to wait until most leaves have fallen of course.

I don't rake leaves anymore. Getting to olde. Can't afford to hire anybody either.
Somehow most of them disappear by summer.

I've heard recommendations in recent years that leaving leaves be or mowing/mulching them is recommended. We're in an apartment currently so I'm happy not having to deal with them at all, but where we used to live there was an old, giant maple out front and the yard was bordered by hedges. Not gathering the majority of the leaves wasn't an option as they'd just go moldy and kill the grass... the times that we didn't, they were still there by late spring. All the pine needles from the evergreens didn't help. So, I'm all for natural yards, but if you don't do at least some maintenance in densely foliated areas you'd better be content with a yard similar to the forest floor. I.e. devoid of grass.

Kraken wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 10:47 pm

Hrdina wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 9:06 pm

Daehawk wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 8:50 pm

Kraken wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 4:58 pm "It's too damned hot out to rake" is not a sentence I would expect to utter in November, but here we are. It got to 77 this afternoon.

Raking is so 20th century.

In my town, you're not allowed to blow the leaves into the street for pickup. You have to bag them, or if you're most other people in my town, you pay someone else to come clean them for you.

I love my trees, except for October through December when I have to clean up their mess.

I wish they'd restrict those obnoxious blowers, although I understand why yard businesses need them. I have a corded electric one that I use to clean up borders after the raking is done, and I don't think it saves much time over raking. The real effort is in the pickup and bagging. I use my mower for that. It reduces their volume by 75%, and the mower bag fits exactly into the top of a leaf bag. Saves me a lot of time, bending, and bags. Before I discovered the chopping strategy I used to fill 40 bags; now I get by with 10-15.

It's still not the kind of work one wants to do in the hot sun, which shouldn't even exist in November. I got half the yard done today, but as most of the leaves are still on the trees it's a Pyrrhic victory. Gonna have to do it again in 2-3 weeks.

I also have a corded electric blower. It is switchable between blow & suck modes. In suck mode, it chops up the leaves and puts them into a relatively small bag that I can then empty into the larger paper bags for disposal. I think it's a little easier to use than my (battery-powered) mower & clipping back, but I wouldn't swear to that.

I started this effort a few weeks ago, and this weekend was the second wave. I still have maybe a third of the leaves still up on the trees, and today it got dark before I actually finished bagging everything on the ground. I probably should have started earlier than 2 pm.

By the time everything is done, I'll probably use maybe 30 bags. I have a small lot, but a number of large trees.

Sudy wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 1:19 am I've heard recommendations in recent years that leaving leaves be or mowing/mulching them is recommended. We're in an apartment currently so I'm happy not having to deal with them at all, but where we used to live there was an old, giant maple out front and the yard was bordered by hedges. Not gathering the majority of the leaves wasn't an option as they'd just go moldy and kill the grass... the times that we didn't, they were still there by late spring. All the pine needles from the evergreens didn't help. So, I'm all for natural yards, but if you don't do at least some maintenance in densely foliated areas you'd better be content with a yard similar to the forest floor. I.e. devoid of grass.

Yeah, I've ended up with bare spots on my lawn because of previous experiments with allowing leaves to remain over the winter. For example, one year I raked them all into piles and ended up getting early snow before I got rid of the leaves. Even mulching them first causes problems, probably because I just have too many.

Actually my dogs bring the leaves in on their fur.Then it gets thrown away.

Sudy wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 1:19 am I've heard recommendations in recent years that leaving leaves be or mowing/mulching them is recommended. We're in an apartment currently so I'm happy not having to deal with them at all, but where we used to live there was an old, giant maple out front and the yard was bordered by hedges. Not gathering the majority of the leaves wasn't an option as they'd just go moldy and kill the grass... the times that we didn't, they were still there by late spring. All the pine needles from the evergreens didn't help. So, I'm all for natural yards, but if you don't do at least some maintenance in densely foliated areas you'd better be content with a yard similar to the forest floor. I.e. devoid of grass.

The people who advocate letting nature do its thing are not, in my experience, suburban homeowners. I'm fortunate not to live near any lawn nazis, and in fact to have a neighbor who's sometimes compelled to clean up their yard by police order. There's no neighborhood association and no pressure unless you really let things go. But I'm also surrounded by people who've removed their big shade trees, as is the fashion among the young, while my little lot has two serious oaks and abuts four major maples. I'm a major leaf polluter. I like my shady little patch of earth, and although I grumble I've been tending it for 31 years now and the seasons give rhythm to my life.

I do miss burning leaves, though. Tending the curbside fire was my job when I was a kid.

You big city folk.

Around here, people rake them all into a big pile in the alley, flip in a match, and go back inside.

I personally haven't had a yard in which leaf raking was necessary since... 1992, I think.

Hrdina wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 1:37 am I also have a corded electric blower. It is switchable between blow & suck modes. In suck mode, it chops up the leaves and puts them into a relatively small bag that I can then empty into the larger paper bags for disposal. I think it's a little easier to use than my (battery-powered) mower & clipping back, but I wouldn't swear to that.

I've got a warranty repair(-hopefully-return) scheduled for tomorrow on my Greenworks blower/mulcher. Every fall I generate enough yard compost to fill the carbon component of our three composters 50 times over, and the rest of the leaves go towards making our garbage bin smell majestic for a few months. I agree that I'm not convinced that its less work than the alternatives, but it is less cardio (and that's what really kills my feeble lungs in the crisp fall weather). The alternative for me is raking and bagging, as my mower is actually a hand-push reel mower, insufficient for in-situ mulching of leaves. (Also our back yard is xeriscaped to the point where neither mowing-into-oblivion nor raking would be an option.)

Blackhawk wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 8:16 am You big city folk.

Around here, people rake them all into a big pile in the alley, flip in a match, and go back inside.

Growing up, every street had burn piles, and as I got older folks moved towards burn barrels. Now my father has the ability to move leaves to the street edge of the lawn and a giant truck/vaccuum combination machine comes by and takes care of what happens to be there on their day.

I am not a superstitious person. I have a bit of OCD ya but not silliness. But you ever hear that old wives tale about if a wild bird enters your house there is a death coming your way? Silly yes. We've had about 3 in here at different times. Nothing ever went amiss unless you want to count a death years later.

But just a few days ago ..Friday..a little bird was in the house again. I shoo'd him out and today I lost my little pet rat Porthos. Yes coincidence but still it pops up into your brain.

Not only does it get dark at 6pm instead of 9:30pm when it starts to get dark it just POOFS dark.I will see it getting dark, take Gus for a walk in the yard and bring him in, and BAM its dark.

Daehawk wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 6:51 pm I am not a superstitious person. I have a bit of OCD ya but not silliness. But you ever hear that old wives tale about if a wild bird enters your house there is a death coming your way? Silly yes. We've had about 3 in here at different times. Nothing ever went amiss unless you want to count a death years later.

But just a few days ago ..Friday..a little bird was in the house again. I shoo'd him out and today I lost my little pet rat Porthos. Yes coincidence but still it pops up into your brain.

I'm sorry about Porthos.

Well my SNAP benefits didn't come today. I was hoping they would due to it being a holiday tomorrow but I guess since none are mailed like a SS check it will just be a normal day for those. That means I either have to go out tomorrow on a holiday in the pouring rain or wait a few days for better weather with little to eat/drink. Oh well. Today is such a nicer day to go some place. Ugh.

Tomorrow's a holiday?

Veteran's Day is a federal holiday.

So I get the day off?

Got some coupon day stuff in the mail for today and one was a flyer...I think Walmart but dotn quote me. Id have to look to see what it was. And tomorrow online only the yhave a 42" tv for $88. Crazy.

EDIT: ya its Walmart..a ROKU tv at that... https://thekrazycouponlady.com/2020/11/ ... rt-reg-178

More proof Americans are getting dumber and less caring.

3 men banned from Yellowstone after trying to cook chicken in geyser

The group was found with two whole chickens in a burlap sack in one of the park's scalding-hot thermal features

Well like last year my doctor is refusing to call in any medicine for me . They want to do a physical....which to them consist of actually seeing me in person and taking blood work. Not a normal physical. I made sure they understood I just needed my muscle relaxer and my 800mg ibuprofen and not my blood pressure meds. For my mr and ibu a blood work aint gonna help. Yet they insist.

I told them I came in later year for blood work and in person this last May for in person but they still want me in there. Told them because of COVID I dont feel safe coming into a doctor and sitting there no matter how much they clean. Im not going. Ill just not get my meds. When my BP meds are gone I wont have to fool with them either. Tired of meds all the time anyways. Not sure what doctors are thinking actually trying to force you to come into a known covid visited place.

Daehawk wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 1:46 pm More proof Americans are getting dumber and less caring.

3 men banned from Yellowstone after trying to cook chicken in geyser

The group was found with two whole chickens in a burlap sack in one of the park's scalding-hot thermal features

Idiots! They should have gone with a turkey.

Daehawk wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 4:58 pm Not sure what doctors are thinking

Neither am I. I usually assume that it is because I didn't spend years becoming an expert and take their medical advice over my own.

Jaymann wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 5:24 pm

Daehawk wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 1:46 pm More proof Americans are getting dumber and less caring.

3 men banned from Yellowstone after trying to cook chicken in geyser

The group was found with two whole chickens in a burlap sack in one of the park's scalding-hot thermal features

Idiots! They should have gone with a turkey.

Then they would have had to fill the geyser with peanut oil. Too much effort

Food that is stale and doesn't taste very good doesn't have any calories does it?

dbt1949 wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 11:14 pm Food that is stale and doesn't taste very good doesn't have any calories does it?

if it doesn't have nutrition information on the packaging, then you're also good

dbt1949 wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 11:14 pm Food that is stale and doesn't taste very good doesn't have any calories does it?

Mine didn't because I threw it away.

When I perused the nuts last week I was delighted to find Spanish peanuts. Spanish and redskins have long been my favorites, and one rarely finds them anymore. Spanish just aren't popular and redskins are probably called something politically correct now. So I tore open that bag and shoveled a fistful into my word hole...and OMG those were nasty. Rancid and mealy. I am off my nuts.

Not a phrase you hear every day.

Tomorrow Im going to try and pick up the stuff to make a junkyard salad.

Daehawk wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:04 am Not a phrase you hear every day.

I remember when it would've been sig-worthy. I only cast the pearls; the rest is up to the swine.

Daehawk wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 4:58 pm Well like last year my doctor is refusing to call in any medicine for me . They want to do a physical....which to them consist of actually seeing me in person and taking blood work. Not a normal physical. I made sure they understood I just needed my muscle relaxer and my 800mg ibuprofen and not my blood pressure meds. For my mr and ibu a blood work aint gonna help. Yet they insist.

I told them I came in later year for blood work and in person this last May for in person but they still want me in there. Told them because of COVID I dont feel safe coming into a doctor and sitting there no matter how much they clean. Im not going. Ill just not get my meds. When my BP meds are gone I wont have to fool with them either. Tired of meds all the time anyways. Not sure what doctors are thinking actually trying to force you to come into a known covid visited place.

Got a new tin of black pepper today and somehow injured myself opening it. Must be one of the silliest injuries ever. The thing had a little plastic tab on it and I used my thumbnail to pry it off. Hindsight says I should have used a spoon. I felt a sharp pain and its bleeding from under the front edge of the nail now. Hurt like the dickens. I bet this is like a paper cut. It will just hurt and hurt for days. Especially while gaming on the computer.

I was reading an article about 16 signs of really smart people.
I missed every goddamn one of them!

I had my doubts when I purchased it but its good.

French primary school had put up signs warning parents NOT to toss their children over the 1.8m fence if their children are tardy.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/fr ... GMB75U7WI/

The website Randomstreetview.com is far more entertaining than it seems like it would be.

I got Lithuania.

Isgrimnur wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 5:35 pm I got Lithuania.

Me too! On the fifth or sixth try. Just outside Kaunas. I tried to get into the city proper since I was just there recently, but it moved too slow.

Jaymann wrote: Fri Nov 06, 2020 2:16 pm

Torfish wrote: Fri Nov 06, 2020 2:08 pm I watched the war movie Platoon for the first time. It's on Netflix streaming. Great movie. Can't believe it took me this long to see it. I'm ashamed.

Thanks for the heads up. I've seen it, but after reading Stone's book (see book thread) I definitely want to re-watch.

Its a good Christmas movie. has a lot of red and green in it.

Holman wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 5:32 pm The website Randomstreetview.com is far more entertaining than it seems like it would be.

I got Chiboygan Mi.

I got some island off the coast of Greece.

Holman wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 5:32 pm The website Randomstreetview.com is far more entertaining than it seems like it would be.

Thanks for the recommendation -- it really is. The best I've seen so far was in Cambodia. A dirt road, houses on stilts, a women walking with two dogs.